Kota Kinabalu: A resolution to the long-standing 40 per cent special grant to Sabah is expected to be reached within the coming year, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
“The decision was made by the Technical Committee of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, which agreed to adopt this resolution,” he said in a statement, Monday.
He emphasised that resolving the issue, pending for the past 58 years, is crucial to ensuring that Sabah receives its rightful revenue rights entitlement.
Representing the Sabah Government in the MA63 committee, Jeffrey affirmed that the Federal Government, under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership, has pledged to deliver on the outstanding constitutional rights.
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Jeffrey said he acknowledged and appreciated the interim RM300 million special grant allocation from Putrajaya, but was quick to underline that this should only serve as a temporary solution.
“The interim allocation, though substantial, is only a part of what is rightfully due to Sabah. The RM300 million is indeed a positive step, but our ultimate goal is the actualisation of the 40 per cent net revenue issue,” he said.
The Keningau MP further said that it is unnecessary to devise a new formula for the special revenue rights grant.
He pointed out that the Federal Constitution already provides an explicit mechanism for this, as stated in Article 112D, 112C and 112C(6), along with Para 24 of the IGC Report.
“The information or data necessary for these calculations can and should be provided by federal agencies such as the Ministry of Finance and the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN).
“The framework is there - what we need now is the appropriate data,” he said.
Jeffrey also suggested that Sarawak adopt the same formula as Sabah, instead of creating a separate one.
“I believe that such uniformity will not only bring consistency but also speed up the settlement process and prevent further delays,” he said.
Jeffrey also clarified that the acceptance of the RM300 million grant from the Federal Government should not be misconstrued as Sabah relinquishing its rights to the 40 per cent net revenue.
On the contrary, he emphasised, it is a stopgap measure while the central issue continues to be pursued.
“The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government remains committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of Sabah.
“The opposition’s allegations that GRS has caused Sabah to lose its rights to the 40 per cent are baseless and a continuous assault on our administration.
“We call upon all parties, especially the Federal Government, to cooperate and ensure that this matter is resolved within the stipulated time frame.
“It is in the best interest of the people of Sabah that we secure our rightful share of revenue, protecting the State’s autonomy, and continue developing our economy for the well-being of our citizens,” he said.
Recently, Sabah rights campaigner Datuk James Ligunjang had called for the State to start playing by the book on its 40pc entitlement.
He said the issue of Sabah’s 40pc entitlement was a long-standing grievance that had remained unresolved for the past 60 years since the state joined in the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
In joining the formation of the federation of Malaysia, Sabah was promised a 40pc entitlement from the Federal Government, he said.
“However, this promise has never been fully fulfilled, and it is now time to address this matter and ensure that the entitlement is granted without any compromises,” Ligunjang said.
He said some of the consequences of this unfulfilled promise were inadequate infrastructure development, underfunded education and healthcare systems, and a lack of economic opportunities for the people of Sabah.
The State’s potential had not been fully realised due to the lack of equitable resource allocation and this had resulted in a disparity between Sabah and the more developed states within Malaysia, he said.
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